The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-11-25
NEW YORK TENEMENT SCENES.
The History of One BIock-Evolution OF a
Tough--A Landlord

Could the history of this single block
be written, say for the past year. it would
make strong men turn faint. Women in
the agunlcs Of child birth on the bare
floor, with the stencil from cesspOOlS
rising unchecked 10 greet the new born
infants, children OF tender wears coDpcd
up IN narrow cells with those suffering
from contagious diseases little ones
going blind with the terrible infectious
ophthalmia which runs riot through the
poorer quarters the sick and thu aged
turned out into the street for daring TO
complain OF their vile quartcrs-in short,
a thousand terrible happenings 10 make
people wCndcrl II there iSa God IN heaven.
Let II not be supposed that all OF these
houses are bad. Some-the greater part
perhaps-are to be classed rs good in
themselves, but all are contaminated by
the bad ones, and the best suffer from
the outrageous, illegal, incNcusable over
crOwdng.
suppose You were born in a rotten
tenement would not YOU be a tough ?
Ten To one that YOU would. Scarcely out
OF your mothers arms you would fiRd
the Whole world against yOu. Your
father, II you had one claiming the title,
would get SO sick of his nasty surround
lngs that he would rush out and accept
mcbrlatlOu rs relief; then he would come
home and kick and beat YOU. Older
companions would bully Won, teach YOU
to swear and steal, lump you in the
neck when opportunity offered. As you
grew up evil companions world cleave
TO you. No good Influences would touch
your poor little life. Gou would have to
shun the filthy home ami seek the solace
OF the beer saloons. Iou would learn
all things evil and learn TO Judge evil as
good. You would be a tough Just a. soon
as nature allowed you to. But the land
lord Is not 10 blame. his apoloyists say.
lie Iuakes place for people to live in
that they pcriorce shun. 1t drives them
TO rum holes as to a refuge. Yet the
landlord Is not TO blame.
Here's a lovely place for 4 civilized
city-the best city in the world. Filthy
Railways, cellars with low ceilings and
damp tioors, bedrooms without ventila-
uon save what comes through the door
ways and those OF the top floors having
no ventilation. There are the delightful
apartments which are supposed 10 hatch
out the creme de In creme OF Inhabitants
Here Is one Of them recently looked up:
She IS n 25-vear-old widow, comes from
Germany and has been SIX years in this
country. She is a laundress Maximum
wages y week; minimum, fifty cents.
No other honest resources. Two chll-
dren, aged years, and - months. Rent
OF two rooms, - per month. The bed
room is perfectly dark, the only light IN
1t entering by the door. There is no
window save into the hall. The Young
widow Is extremely pale and nervous
She suffers from frequent attacks OF
rheumatism. And she is put down as
immoral. Think OF it! 4 women en-
Joying these luxuries immoral, How
perverse Is human naturel The house is
full OF Italians. 1t is never cleaned un-
less by the tenants. The priyies are
never cleaned. And two innocent chill
drcn, with such a mother have got 10
grow up and face the world If they do not
die in the growing.
The landlord who owns a big tenement
on Batavia street has had put up Il sign
saying: No ball playing or other games
in this yard. No lounging, and nobody
but tenants allowed in the yard" As a
tenement house boy remark ed recently:
"I'm tired of liyin'. There's no place to
60 there's no place 10 play; there's no
use IN hayin holiday, anyway. Ii you
play bail in the park the cop chases you
of; If you play ball in the street YOU get
arrested. I'm tired Of liyin' ."-Nc.s York
Word.